Playing the Field

Real-world advice on cross-training as a regular part of your routine

In 1980, Alberto Salazar got a sore knee. He'd been training for the 10,000m Olympic trials, and developed an iliotibial band problem that just wouldn't go away. So, he did what many runners are taught to do when injured. He jumped in the pool. For two months, swimming was his primary activity, combined with a bit of cycling. He swam so much that he nearly gave himself an overuse injury from that.

When the knee finally improved, he had less than a month before the trials. Nevertheless, he came out of the water to snag a third-place finish and a spot on the team. Due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the team never went to the games, held that year in Moscow, but Salazar's training had worked. "It was obvious that the cross-training, all of that swimming, had really retained a high level of fitness," he said.

Salazar's is the type of story that has long sent wounded runners into the pool or onto exercise bikes or stair climbers. Not only does active rehab preserve fitness but, doctors increasingly say, it appears to speed healing.

Yet, most runners, having healed the injury, return to a single-minded love affair with running. While monogamy is generally regarded as a good thing in marriage, there are growing indications it may not be as beneficial in sports.

There are at least three major benefits to cross-training, even when you're not injured. Kelly Liljeblad is a Colorado-based athlete and online coach (ontrackhealth.net) who sports a 2:32:27 marathon PR and was third in last year's USATF 10-mile championship. Running is her primary sport, but a few years ago, she took up cross-training to combat a string of injuries and subsequently became a professional triathlete.

Like many top runners, she doesn't believe that biking and swimming can truly replace running training. But they can help you get more bang from your run-training buck. "Biking or swimming can make you stronger and balance your body out," she says, "so you [can] handle a higher workload with less injury risk. You stay healthier, so you probably can handle more mileage and intensity in your running."

Cross-training is also useful for those who can't put in elite-level mileage. Pete Pfitzinger advocates it in Advanced Marathoning, noting that those who can't consistently reach the level of weekly running mileage they'd like should consider incorporating some form of aerobic cross-training into their training programs.

Elite coach Brad Hudson (whose trainees include 2008 Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein) agrees. "I'm a strong believer that you've got to run to be a good runner," he says. "But not everybody can put in elite mileage. It comes down to what you can absorb." Aerobic cross-training can therefore be used on recovery days, he says, to add volume to your program without the pounding that comes with additional running. "More training is good, for the most part." In other words, if it's a choice between: (a) running too much and risking injury; (b) taking the day off; or (c) impact-free aerobic cross-training, the best choice for most serious runners is "c."

Cross-training is also of benefit for masters runners, and the higher up the age ladder you go, the more important it becomes. That's because age diminishes the shock-absorbing characteristics of your muscles, says South African exercise physiologist Timothy Noakes. Age also slows muscular recovery after hard training, requiring even the most competitive runners to add extra recovery days to their schedule.

But a lot of runners resist it. In one of the more personal sections of his classic, Lore of Running, Noakes talks of coming to grips with the need to temper his running with cross-training as his body aged -- his own battle with what he calls the "committed runners' prejudice against any activity other than running."

With time he came to enjoy other sports for their own sake, especially bicycling. One of that sport's great advantages, he found, is that it increases the range of terrain you can explore.

Cross-training can be taken like medicine, or in the spirit of adventure. Here are several ways in which you can experiment with it, some more gentle and impact-free than others.

Cycling

In-season, there are few more enjoyable forms of cross-training than cycling. And because it uses a lot of the same muscles as running, Hudson thinks that it's the best form of crosstraining other than the Alter-G treadmill (see page 5.)

The drawbacks are the cost and risk of collisions or crashes. A lot of runners think avoiding accidents requires too much attention. But anyone who runs the roads faces some of the same risks, and cyclists, like runners, still manage to find meditative routes.

Mari Holden, a 2000 Olympic silver-medalist cyclist turned coach, remembers a 16-mile loop the American cycling team often rode for easy, recovery rides. "It was almost like you could go on automatic pilot because we had done it so many times," she says. "You couldn't even imagine going hard on that loop. I think every town has a ride like that: nice roads, and quiet."

Cycling, she adds, can be incredibly relaxing. "Once you get comfortable on your bike, you can just roll along, spin, and chat."

One of the key words here is "spin." Most beginners try to grind out overly high gears, under the illusion that pushing hard translates to a better workout. Actually, it's more likely to translate to sore knees. Try for a cadence of about 90 revolutions per minute, but don't get too obsessive about it. If your tempo's too slow, it will pick up naturally as you gain experience, Holden says.

Just as important is making sure your bicycle is properly fitted to your body, says triathlete Liljeblad. That's not something beginners can do themselves. "Go to the bike shop and get a professional fit," she says. Otherwise, you risk hip, knee, and lower-back injuries.

Other tips:

You'll do better with a comfortable road bike, not a mountain bike or a stiff -framed racing bike. Try starting with about 45 minutes to an hour, Liljeblad suggests, twice a week.

Check with a bike shop for training routes and club rides. "When you ride with a group, you learn a lot, and learn quickly," Holden advises.

Consider cycling if you want to get strong on hills. "Cyclists are terrible at running flat or downhill," Holden says. "But they're good at uphill."

Get the best of both worlds by warming down afterwards. "Cycling presents a danger of shortening your stride," Pfitzinger writes. "Minimize this concern by walking and then running slowly for several minutes after cycling, and then stretching your hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors."

Swimming

Swimming was what got Salazar back on track for the 1980 Olympic trials, but if you're serious about it, you can't just jump in the pool. "Get a lesson," says Liljeblad.

That's because technique is critical for efficient swimming -so critical, in fact, that exercise physiologist Dave Costill (formerly of Ball State University) once told me that even though he'd been a competitive swimmer in college, he could match his youthful times as late as age 62, by refining his skills and training methods.

"If you do it wrong," adds Liljeblad, "it's impossible to just go easy. Your heart rate will be crazy-high the whole time."

Luckily, it's easy to get help. Join a masters swim program (in swimming, "masters" means pretty much any adult), and tell the coach you're a beginner and need help with your stroke. Also, she says, learn to use the kick-boards, paddles, fins and pull buoys. "They're not just toys. They are tools to help you swim better. [They] also break up the monotony."

Pool running is another form of water-based cross-training. Classes exist, but unlike swimming, it's mostly used either for rehab or as basic fitness training for beginners or people with health problems. This doesn't mean you can't make a good crosstraining workout out of it, but it does mean it's not yet come into its own as a popular sport -- and there's a reason for this, as most report it less mentally stimulating than watching sitcom reruns. While it excels as a substitute when you can't run, few have the discipline to make it a part of their weekly regimen. If you're interested, see Pfitzinger's program HERE.

Hiking & Mountain Running

Every Thursday my club runs to the top of a 1,000-foot hill. Someone who often participates is Richard Bolt, team leader for the U. S. Mountain Running Team. "Running hills," Bolt says, "is an alternative to running the roads every day. Running uphill, in particular, is a great way of cross-training."

It's a little hard to determine where conventional hill repeats end and mountain running begins, but it's clear that running up giant hills is a genuine form of cross-training. Amazingly, it's also relatively low impact -- uphill, at least. On the return, wise hill runners generally take it as easily as possible.

Even then, however, you have to be in spectacular hill-running shape to view mountain running as a recovery-day alternative. It's more like an alternative form of speed work. "It gives strength and power that you're not necessarily going to get from training on the flats," Bolt says, pointing to Max King (a member of the 2008 U. S. World Cross Country Team) as an example of a mountain runner with considerable success at more conventional types of running. "It also taxes the cardiovascular system [with] more sustained intensity than you get even from running fast on the flats," Bolt says.

If all of this sounds a bit too intense, you can get a lot of benefit from brisk, uphill hiking. Two of my favorite grades are a 2,900-foot hill called Dog Mountain, which I can get up in about 70 minutes (walking, but working about as hard as a hard tempo run), and Angel's Rest, a 1,450-foot climb. I do them, or equivalent hikes or backpacking trips, about 30 times a year.

"Pick a training method that elevates the heart rate and doesn't give you high impact," Bolt says. If that means hike, not run, "then absolutely, walk it."

Cross-Country Skiing

Many of the highest VO2 max levels ever recorded have been from cross-country skiers. That alone is reason enough to think there might be advantages to skiing as cross-training. It's also a good arm-and-shoulder workout and, as you gain skill, even works the core. Not to mention that unless you live in some place like Minnesota or Colorado or Vermont, where the snow comes to you, it's often at altitude.

Bolt competed in three Winter Olympic trials in the 1990s and now, in addition to his mountain running success, boasts recent 5K times in the 15:40 range. He thinks skiing is a perfect winter cross-training sport for serious runners.

"You can get in a lot of time training without the impact," he says. "Skiers at the highest level will train 30 to 40 hours a week. If you translate that into running, you would break down in a couple weeks. A lot of runners go into hibernation in the winter and get behind in their training. If you have the geography that supports regular cross-country skiing, you can not only maintain fitness through the winter, but use it as a time to build fitness without risking injury."

Paul Petersen, marathoner, triathlete, and owner of California's Bear Valley Cross Country Ski Area, agrees. But skiing is more of a skill sport than running, he warns, which means there's a learning curve. (It can also tax balance muscles you don't normally use as much, especially the adductors.) "Set yourself up for success by doing a learn-to-ski package, usually priced favorably to get you into the deal," he suggests.

Other tips:

Start out, if possible, at an area with groomed trails.

Begin with "classic" style, which is more like hiking/running than the more specialized "skating" style.

Rent equipment the first few times instead of buying it. The learning curve is fast enough that the equipment that's right for you at the start might be outgrown by the end of your first lesson.

Don't overdress. You won't have the skill at first to generate quite as much heat as you would running, but if you dress like a downhill skier or snowmobiler, you'll take a sauna.

The biggest injury risks are falls. "Don't choose terrain that's over your head," says Petersen. "At first, you need to be a little cautious and not assume you can blast a black-diamond trail [just] because you're a fit runner."

Good equipment also helps minimize falls by giving you better control. Good control also comes from making sure your boots aren't too loose (though don't cut off circulation to your toes).

Rowing

In 1999, I lost 56 pounds and got back into running after an 11-year hiatus. But I didn't lose the weight by running. I did much of it on a rowing machine.

Contrary to what you might think, rowing isn't solely a back-and-arm workout. Much of the work comes from the legs. (I also feel it in the glutes.) Nor is it as boring as it sounds. The cockpits of the better machines (called "ergs" by people for whom it's their primary sport) are nearly as complex as your favorite sports watch -a true type-A numerophile's dream.

Kelly Johnson, a Pacific Northwest runner who rowed crew in college, says the main thing you need to do when taking up the sport is make sure your technique is correct. "If you don't, you're going to hurt yourself."

Technique begins by learning to isolate different muscle groups, so you're not trying to pull with all muscles simultaneously. You also have to use them in the right order. On the pull, that means in order of decreasing strength. Legs first, then the back, then arms. On the recovery, it's the reverse. "Legs-back-arms, arms-back-legs," Johnson says.

Other tips:

If the handle is hitting your knees, either on the pull or the recovery, you're doing something out of order.

Don't lean forward as your butt slides back. When using the legs, keep the angle of your back fixed. Likewise, don't "sit up early," by trying to lean back before you're done with the legs.

Look for an efficient, steady rhythm. "Look for whatever stroke rate is comfortable," Johnson says. (Stroke rate is one of the many readouts on the instrument panel.) "Most people are most comfortable between 18 and 26."

Take it easy at the start. "A lot of times when you stand up, it's like, 'Ooh, it's a lot harder than I thought,'" she warns.

Look for additional coaching tips and specific workout ideas at usrowing.org, or row2k.com. A good health club trainer may also have ideas, but not all are well-versed in rowing machine specifics.

Other Gym Machines

Health clubs are cross-training meccas. Not only do they provide rowing machines, but they have a host of other apparatuses, some more tempting than others.

Best on the list are elliptical trainers. These provide good, solid workouts, often equivalent to hiking up big hills. (You can do the same by walking on a treadmill at maximum grade.) Stair climbers are more dubious; some can hurt your knees. Test them cautiously.

Exercise bicycles and spin classes are also problematic. Spin classes tend to be intense: speed work substitutes, not recovery workouts. And the instructors may not know much about cycling, which means they may encourage you to grind your knees against overly hard resistance.

Exercise bicycles present a different problem. Many have the big, cushy-looking seats favored by beginners. Avoid them. They're inefficient and force you to pedal with your legs bowed out to the side, a prescription for knee pain. Better is to mount your own, perfectly fitted bicycle on an indoor trainer, in the comfort of your house. Recumbent exercise bicycles, on the other hand, are often quite comfortable.

The only way to truly find out what works and what doesn't is to try the various machines in small doses, looking for the ones that feel most fun and most comfortable.

Alter-G treadmill

If you're looking for the ultimate in cross-training and have a few tens of thousands of dollars to spare (or access to a really elite fitness center), the Alter-G treadmill is currently the best thing going.

It works by placing an airtight ring around your waist. An air chamber then inflates around your lower body, lifting up to 80 percent of your weight off the treadmill below. "It's the closest thing to [actual] running," says Brad Hudson, who's used one with top-level athletes such as Dathan Ritzenhein.

The result is a way of running extra miles, without the pounding. "Instead of 130 miles a week, we'll do 110 on land and 20 on there," he says by way of illustration. "If they're really beat up, sometimes they can do a [whole] workout."

The only drawback seems to be the boredom inherent in any treadmill work, but that's a small price to pay for ninth in the Olympic marathon.

Kickbiking

You may get some looks as you power your "big kid's scooter," but the sport of kickbiking offers an excellent no-impact, supplemental workout that raises your heart rate and strengthens your quads and hamstrings.

Born out of "kicksledding" in Finland, kickbiking has been around -but not exactly caught on like wildfire -- in North America for a decade. With a bicycle-like front wheel and a tricked-out handlebar with hand brakes, a kickbike looks like a bicycle from the front. But that's where the similarity ends. From the handlebar, the frame follows the contour of the front wheel, dropping to within inches of the ground to a board that is just long and wide enough for one big foot. Behind the footboard is a miniature rear wheel.

You will find that you gain endurance and efficiency after several kickbike workouts and that you can go longer on one leg before you switch. Surprisingly, it is the standing leg that tires more quickly, mostly in the quads, although you also work the calf muscles too. Learning a quick "hop switch" and gaining confidence and aerodynamics on descents also comes with time. For a change-up workout, go out with a friend and alternate runner and kickbiker as a ride and tie type session.

Richard A. Lovett is a senior writer for Running Times and author of The Essential Touring Cyclist. He is also co-author (with Paul Petersen) of The Essential Cross-Country Skier, and of Alberto Salazar's Guide to Road Racing.

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